The Perfect Gift
by ArabellaGwen
Summary: Sydney's home alone on Christmas Eve...


**The Perfect Gift**

Sydney sighed as she unlocked the door to her apartment. Wordlessly, she opened the door, turning on the light and dumping her attaché case on the wood floor in one swift motion. She slammed the door behind her, not caring how much noise it made.

Walking towards the living room, her steps were short and clipped. She struggled to control the frustration welling up inside as she sunk into her favourite armchair. Turning on the TV, she hoped to find some form of escape from her current situation.

But, alas, even the television seemed to spite her. Every channel showed the same thing, it was either an old movie or a cheesy sitcom special. Settling on one of the black-and-white films, she turned the volume up to try and cover the deafening silence that filled the apartment.

"_Damn CIA."_

She was home alone. On Christmas Eve. Again.

She was used to it, to say the least. As a child, she had spent countless Christmases alone, or with a family that didn't belong to her. Her father always had some "very important business trip" that definitely could not wait until after the holidays. As she grew up, Sydney began to suspect that her father created these 'trips' simply to avoid having to celebrate Christmas. Her mother's favourite holiday.

But this year was meant to be different. She and Vaughn had been planning this night for months. _Their first Christmas together. _But now their romantic evening had been ruined. He was off…somewhere, doing…something, while she was at home, alone.

"_Damn CIA." _She repeated.

Jack had informed her of her boyfriend's last-minute mission that morning. He hadn't even been able to say goodbye.

Sighing once more, Sydney was about to resign herself to 8 lonely hours of sleep when something caught her eye. On the coffee table…a present, brightly wrapped. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it earlier. Picking it up, she studied it inquisitively.

It was a large, but thin rectangular box and on the front in black ink, there was her name, scrawled in Vaughn's familiar script.

'_Sydney._

_To open Xmas Eve.'_

Smiling, she began to slowly rip the paper, curious as what this mystery gift might be. She tore the shred of wrapping off with a flourish, and stared at the gift confused.

It was an Advent Calendar. The kind children used to countdown the days until Christmas. There was a little 'door' to open each day, from the 1st of December. Behind each door lay a small chocolate, waiting to be consumed. In the back of her mind, Sydney remembered being given one of these by a friend of her mother's when she was little.

Beaming, she opened the last door, the 24th, and placed the candy in her mouth blissfully. Closing her eyes, she let the treat dissolve between her lips before deciding to back for another. This time it was it was the 1st door she opened.

As she savoured the chocolate, she noticed something written on the inside on the cardboard door. It was a letter, written in black ink. It clearly said _'S'_. Puzzled, she reopened the first flap, on it was printed a question mark. From there, her spy skills kicked into action.

Grabbing a scrap of paper and a pen, she began to open the doors in numerical order, writing down whatever was written on the flaps.

S-Y-D-N-E-Y 

Her name. At least she knew the hidden message was addressed to her.

Her heart skipped a beat when she uncovered the next letters.

I- ♥- U 

I love you. She felt her heart begin to melt. Trust Michael Vaughn to do something like this.

W-I-L-L-Y-O-U… 

She hurriedly scribbled down the last letters. Focusing her eyes on the symbols that seemed to wriggle across the page, it took a few moments before she could comprehend the message. And then she gasped.

S-Y-D-N-E-Y-I-♥-U-W-I-L-L-Y-O-U-M-A-R-R-Y-M-E-? 

"Well?"

It was only then she realised she was no longer alone. Rising slowly, she gazed around the room until she found what she was looking for. Two sets of eyes met, one brown, one green.

"_Michael?" _Sydney breathed. She could only stare as he walked towards her. Taking her in his arms, the two embraced passionately with long-lasting kiss.

"Syd…I love you," he spoke softly in her ear, "Will you marry me?"

With tears streaming down her face, Sydney replied with the only word she possibly could.

"_Yes."_

END.


End file.
